Hail hits Waimanalo and Hawaii Kai
East Oahu was hit by a thunderstorm and hail Sunday night as the Honolulu Department of Emergency Management issued a special weather statement warning of scattered lightning and hail throughout the state.
Hail was reported Sunday in Waimanalo and Hawaii Kai.
Affected areas included Niihau; windward Kauai; the South Shore, Waianae Coast, North Shore, Koolau and central areas of Oahu; windward and leeward Molokai; Lanai; Kahoolawe; the windward, west, leeward, central and Haleakala areas of Maui; and the Kona, south, north, east, Kohala and summit regions of Hawaii island.
The unstable conditions originate from an upper-level trough that is expected to linger just east of Hawaii island through the middle of the week, according to the National Weather Service.
Lanes on Punahou exit, onramp closed
Electrical utility work will close lanes on the Punahou Street exit and onramp between 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. today for the safety of work crews and the public, a Hawaiian Electric Co. spokesman said.
The westbound onramp will be completely closed, and the two middle lanes of the eastbound exit will be closed. The left-hand lane, which turns left toward Manoa, and the right-hand lane, which turns right toward Waikiki, will remain open. Special-duty police officers will direct traffic through the area.
Refuge to open on fewer days
The Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge on Kauai will be open only five days a week under a budget-cutting move by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The refuge will be closed each Sunday and Monday throughout the year starting Feb. 2. Visitors are welcome at the refuge from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m Tuesday through Saturday except on major holidays.
The reduction is due to flat and declining budgets, the agency said in a news release Thursday.
"The refuge cannot maintain the staff necessary to support a seven-days-a-week visitor program and conduct conservation work necessary for the wildlife that depends on the refuge," the release said.
The refuge was established to preserve and enhance seabird nesting colonies and is home to some of the largest populations of nesting seabirds in the main Hawaiian Islands. The refuge is also home to the Daniel K. Inouye Kilauea Point Lighthouse.
About 500,000 people visit each year. The budget for the refuge is about $1.2 million annually.
The shorter week will be reassessed after a year, the agency said.
Hilo hoolaulea set for Jan. 18
The University of Hawaii at Hilo will hold its hoolaulea from noon to 9:30 p.m. Jan. 18 in the lower parking lot behind the theater.
Organizers say they still need volunteers for the information booth, vending booths and the children’s attraction.
Contact Emily Charman at emilyjpc@hawaii.edu or call 974-7518.
